Sleep inhibitor



Sept. 15, 1-936 L. P. PATTERSON SLEEP INHIBITOR Filed July 21, 1933 INVENTOR.

PATTERSON $212. 417' A ORNEYS.

LEW/5 f? Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to sleep inhibitors, and has for its primary object the provision of a novel and positively functioning device adapted to be worn on the head of a person and, according to certain conditions, to automatically create sound of sufiicient amplitude to excite the organ of hearing and thereby disturb and'prevent one from sleeping involuntarily. The device is particularly designed for use by a person engaged in certain work requiring that he remain constantly alert and vigilant in order that the work in which he is engaged, such as the driving of an automobile or other vehicle, may go forward as intended with the full use of ones normal faculties, thereby preventing accidents and possible damage to life and property that could otherwise result because of sleepiness and inalertness of the driver and a lack of such due care as would be expected of an ordinarily prudent and careful person. However, the invention is in no manner restricted to use thereof by drivers of automobiles upon whom the law of torts largely imposes differing degrees of care for the fixing of responsibility for the commission of wrongs resulting in damage to life and property. To the contrary, the invention has been found highly desirable and efficient for use by persons entrusted with the commission or duty of guarding or watching over the property of another, or even for use by students or other persons who may be compelled to read for a period of time during which one may have a natural desire to doze.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth having sound-producing means which will remain inactive so long as the head of the user is in one position or held erect, such as when one is perfectly conscious and fully awake, and which will automatically operate to arouse the user the instant the position of the head changes and he suddenly nods because of partial consciousness of the user and a tendency to sleep.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which will be of light weight and so constructed and designed as to comfortably fit the head of the wearer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set forth which can be quickly applied to or removed from the head as desired. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a sleep inhibitor embodying a novel form of circuit closer-for making and breaking a circuit freely and quickly in operative response to changes in the position of the head from a normal open circuit position, whereby to control the operation of an electrically actuated audible alarm.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the hereto appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a single and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitations are necessarily made to the precise structural details therein illustrated, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be made when desired.

In said drawing,

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the device with parts thereof shown in full lines;

Figure 2 is a view in elevation of the device showing a part thereof removed for the purpose of clarity;

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the device with parts broken away and illustrating a closed position of the circuit controlling switch;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figures 5 to '7, inclusive, are schematic illustrations of a slightly modified form of pendulum.

In carrying the invention into practice, use is made of a substantially inverted U-shaped member 5 of resilient material of a size to fit the head of the user so that the two relatively movable branches 6 and 1 will come against the opposite sides of the head in a manner similar to any well-known form of telephone head set.

The branch 6 carries a housing 8 having a closed flat side 9 adapted to extend against the ear of the user or to be close thereto, and an open side III, at which last named side, and supported by the housing, is a bell ll.

Supported within the housing is an electromagnet I! of any suitable well-known construction,-the same adapted to be acted upon in response to actuations set up in a switch mechanism l3. This mechanism comprises a pair of spaced apart contact plates l4 and I5 between which is interposed a strip of insulating material It of suitable thickness for the purpose intended. These plates and the said insulating material are contained within a sheath l'l fixed to' the wall 9 of the aforementioned housing 8. The central portion of the material I6 is formed with a vertical opening i8 and in alinement therewith and formed in the plate I5 is a somewhat similar 56 but slightly smaller opening 59. The line wire 20 shown in Figure 2 connects with the contact plate l5 and from the co-acting plate M is extended a wire 25 which connects with the electromagnet l2. A wire 22 from the magnet l2 connects with a fixed contact element 23 of a make and break device 24, the latter including an armature ZS'adapted to co-act with said electromagnet, and a spring contact element 28, the latter carried by the armature and adapted to co-act with the element 23. On reference to Figure 1 of the drawing, it will be observed that the armature carries a U-shaped resilient hammer 27, the arm 28 of which has its free end situated with respect to the annular wall of the bell H so that the weight 29 will be operatively co-ordinated with said wall, whereby to rapidly strike thereagainst as the arm 28 is vibrated when the armature is set inmotion.

Hung from the lower contact plate I5 is a pendulum mechanism 29' adapted to virbrate in any lateral direction with respect to a line drawn perpendicularly through the alined openings l8 and i 9, as will be readily appreciated upon reference to Figure 3. This pendulum mechanism includes a stem 3! on which a weight 32 is mounted, and the upper end of the stem passes through the opening l9 and same has a flat circular head 33 which rests upon the upper surface of the plate I 5 so as to come within the opening I9. The said opening i9 is somewhat larger than the diameter of the head 33 so that the latter is free to tilt to a circuit-closing position and to bridge the contact plates M and 15 when the pendulum is tilted as shown in Figure '3. The electro magnet i2 is adapted to be connected in the usual manner with a source of current supply. It may receive current from a storage battery of the type commonly used as part of the ignition system of an automobile, or it may be supplied with current from a dry battery or it may be connected in a source of house current, in which latter instance the current may be taken through a transformer of any suitable well-known construction.

In order that the pendulum, after it has assumed a circuit closing position (Figure 3), may be automatically retained in such position until manually reset, I provide a latching device 34, the same including a stem 35 which is slidable axially with respect to the pendulum through an aperture 36 in the closed wall of a cup 31. This cup constitutes a part of the housing 8 and said stem passes into the housing and is provided with a head 38 which is normally held in the position shown in Figure 1 by the action of a light coil spring 39. The lower end of the pendulum has free wiping engagement with the upper fiat face of the head 38, and same is adapted to readily pass thereover as the pendulum moves away from a normal vertical position. When the pendulum has moved to the position substantially as indicated in Figure 3, the head 38 under the normal action of the spring 39 is urged to a position where it functions as a stop or abutment in order that the circuit may remain closed until the stem 35 shall have been manually depressed and the device 34 readjusted to yieldingly bear against the lower end of the pendulum, as shown in Figures 1' and 2. If for any reason it should not be desired to latch the pendulum in a circuit closing position after it has operated to sound the bell H, a tiltable button at the lower end of the stem 35 may be turned to a vertical position where it will co-act with the cup 31 so as to hold the head 38 in a retracted position where it will not lie in the path of movement of the pendulum.

From the above description, it is believed that the operation of the device will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. I wish to state, however, that in order that the plate hi may readily adapt itself to the movements of the head 38, same is capable of being freely flexed as the head 33 is brought into engagement therewith. It is, therefore, desired that said plate be rather thin and somewhat springy and that the sheath I! be arched where it spans the said plate, so as to compensate for the flexure of the plate as the pendulum oscillates.

The aforementioned sheath ll, if constructed of sheet metal, as is preferred, is faced with an insulating material Ila, and same functions in conjunction with the insulation It to completely insulate the plates l4 and i5 from each other. The stem 3i of the pendulum 29 is formed with a section 3la of insulating material so as to prevent a short circuit occurring through the metallic housing 8 by engagement of the pendulum with the head 38.

In the pendulum mechanism shown-in Figures 5 to 7, inclusive, the weight 32' is formed with a relatively broad horizontal surface 32 and a flared or conical portion 32 The stem 35' of the latching device is provided with a fiat head 38 of small diameter as compared with the diameter of the weight at the surface 32 thereof. The spring 39' lightly holds the head againstthe surface 32 normally as shown in Figure 5. Because of the proportion of the surface 32 with respect to the size of the head 38', it follows that the pendulum can move for. a substantial lateral distance (Figure 6) before the head 38' will be advanced to a latching position (Figure '7) by the action of the spring 39'.

What is claimed is:

A sleep inhibitor comprising a housing having a resonant element at one side thereof; the opposite side of the housing formed to close against the ear of a human head; a head-engaging member for supporting the housing on the head to dispose said opposite side thereof in close relation to the ear as aforestated; a clapper for the resonant element; an electric circuit; an electromagnet connected in said circuit and contained in the housing, the clapper including an armature disposed relative to the pole of the magnet to be 60 said circuit when the head is tilted from an erect position.

LEWIS P. PATTERSON. 

